Usb air blower

ABSTRACT

A Universal Serial Bus (USB) air blower includes a housing, a direct current (DC) fan, a discharge element, and a USB interface. The discharge element is arranged on a front end of the housing. The DC fan is installed in the housing. The USB interface is electrically coupled to the DC fan. The discharge element includes a discharge aperture to discharge air generated by the DC fan.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to air blowers, and more particularly, to an air blower which receives power via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Air blowers in various forms are available for numerous uses, such as drying hair or other objects, blowing fallen leaves, and blowing air into a fireplace or charcoal grill to accelerate combustion. Another application for air blowers is removal of dust from hard-to-reach places, such as between keys of typewriters and computer keyboards and from fragile or irregularly-shaped objects, such as dried flower arrangements and artificial plants. These air blowers for cleaning dust are typically powered by one or more batteries in order to avoid the need for a power cord and electrical outlet. However, the batteries will be consumed and must be replaced by other good batteries after a period of time, which is inconvenient, and may pollute the environment because of the used batteries.

What is desired, therefore, is to provide an air blower which can conveniently clean electronic devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An exemplary Universal Serial Bus (USB) air blower includes a housing, a direct current (DC) fan, a discharge element, and a USB interface. The discharge element is arranged on a front end of the housing. The DC fan is installed in the housing. The USB interface is electrically coupled to the DC fan. The discharge element includes a discharge aperture to discharge air generated by the DC fan.

Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric, exploded view of a USB air blower in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an assembled view of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) air blower 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The USB air blower 10 includes an elongate box-shaped housing 12, a funneled discharge element 14 having a slender discharge end 142, a direct current (DC) fan 16, and a USB interface 18. The slender discharge end 142 has a discharge aperture formed at a front end thereof and an electrostatic brush 148 around the discharge aperture. The housing 12 and the discharge element 14 may be manufactured of any appropriate material, preferably a lightweight, durable material, such as high-impact plastic. A specification of the DC fan 16 can be chosen according to need, such as 40×40×28 mm, and the fan 16 includes a pair of aligned mounting holes 164 defined in each of four corners thereof in this embodiment.

A concave portion 124 is defined in an inner surface of a front end of the housing 12. A flange 146 protrudes from four sides of a rear end of the discharge element 14 corresponding to the concave portion 124. Two threaded holes (not shown) are defined in the housing 12 corresponding to the mounting holes 164 of the DC fan 16. The USB interface 18 is connected to a rear end of the housing 12 via a power cable 19.

In this embodiment, a switch 122 is disposed on a top of the housing 12 for turning the fan 16 on and off. A light 144 such as a light-emitting diode (LED) is mounted on a top of the discharge element 14.

Referring also to FIG. 2, in assembly, the fan 16 is installed in the housing 12 by known means such as two screws 166 extending through two corresponding through holes 164 of the fan 16 and into corresponding threaded holes of the housing 12. The discharge element 14 is connected to the housing 12 with the flange 146 of the discharge element 14 engaging with the concave portion 124 of the housing 12. The discharge element 14 and the housing 12 also can be integrally formed together, and the fan 16 is installed in the housing 12 from the rear end thereof.

Referring also to FIG. 3, a circuit diagram of the USB air blower 10 is shown. The fan 16 includes a DC motor 162 therein. One terminal of the motor 162 is electrically coupled to a power terminal VCC of the USB interface 18 via the switch 122, and the other terminal of the motor 162 is electrically coupled to a ground terminal GND of the USB interface 18. The light 144 is connected to the motor 162 in parallel.

When using the USB air blower 10 to clean an electronic device such as a computer keyboard (not shown), the USB interface 18 of the USB air blower 10 is plugged into a USB port of the computer, then the switch 122 of the USB air blower 10 is depressed. The fan 16 works and produces airflow from the discharge aperture of the discharge end 142. At the same time, the light 18 lights up and facilitates seeing where to direct the fan 16 to clean the keyboard. Further, the electrostatic brush 148 of the discharge element 14 can clean electrostatic dust on the keyboard. Thus, the USB air blower 10 conveniently and easily cleans the electronic device.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the preferred embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, equivalent material and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) air blower comprising: a housing; a direct current (DC) fan installed in the housing; a discharge element arranged on a front end of the housing, the discharge element comprising a discharge aperture to discharge air generated by the DC fan; and a USB interface electrically coupled to the DC fan.
 2. The USB air blower as claimed in claim 1, wherein the DC fan includes a DC motor therein, one terminal of the motor is electrically coupled to a power terminal of the USB interface, and the other terminal of the motor is electrically coupled to a ground terminal of the USB interface.
 3. The USB air blower as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a switch disposed on a top of the housing for turning the DC fan on and off, the switch is electrically connected between the one terminal of the motor and the power terminal of the USB interface.
 4. The USB air blower as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a light mounted on a top of the discharge element, the light is electrically connected between the power terminal of the USB interface and the ground terminal of the USB interface.
 5. The USB air blower as claimed in claim 4, wherein the light is a light-emitting diode (LED).
 6. The USB air blower as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an electrostatic brush attached around the discharge aperture of the discharge element, the housing is generally elongate box-shaped, the discharge element is generally funnel-shaped, a slender discharge end defining the discharge aperture is formed at a front end of the discharge element.
 7. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) air blower comprising: a housing comprising a discharge aperture defined on a front end thereof; a direct current (DC) fan installed in the housing for generating an air current through the discharge aperture when activated; and a USB interface electrically coupled to the DC fan for supplying power to the DC fan.
 8. The USB air blower as claimed in claim 7, wherein the DC fan includes a DC motor therein, one terminal of the motor is electrically coupled to a power terminal of the USB interface, and the other terminal of the motor is electrically coupled to a ground terminal of the USB interface.
 9. The USB air blower as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a switch disposed on the housing for turning the DC fan on and off, the switch is electrically connected between the one terminal of the motor and the power terminal of the USB interface.
 10. The USB air blower as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a light mounted on the housing, the light is electrically connected between the power terminal of the USB interface and the ground terminal of the USB interface.
 11. The USB air blower as claimed in claim 10, wherein the light is a light-emitting diode (LED).
 12. The USB air blower as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an electrostatic brush attached around the discharge aperture of the housing, a slender discharge end defining the discharge aperture is formed at the front end of the housing. 